John waters



UNnEsTArsleTNT OFFICE# JOHN WATERS, E soUTHwARK, PENNSYLVANIA.

stiamo-MATTRESS, l

` `Specification of Letters Patent 1\To.l 8,669, dated January 20, 1852.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Beds or Mattresses; and I do hereby declare the 1 following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the manner of making the same,

. reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof, and which exhibits a top view of the fame and the fastenings of the several parts constituting the same.

The nature of my invention consists, first,

4in making the frame of the bed of whalethe rim, and longitudinal and cross bracing,

and passing them through slots in the leather straps which hold together the helical springs, as to allow any weight placed at any one point in the bed, to be distributed equally over the whole frame, and at the same time allow the springs free play, without the possibility of their being disarranged by unequal `pressure thereon, and preventing what has hitherto `been a trouble to the manufacturer, andan annoyance to the purchaser, that is, the breaking of the cane on the edge or top of the spring when lunder the weight of the body.

`which prevents their free action, and be- In some of the spring mattresses `heretofore constructed, the cords which connect the tops and bottoms of the helical springs together and to the; frame were attached by asingle turn over the first coil of the helix, and then passed to the next spring, thus passing over the tops of` the springs sides the fretting or changofthe `cord soon` parts it and lets down the whole tier of springs. Others, have been arranged with chains instead of cords, but the rings on the chains slip around on the springs when slackened, andthen when strained up, `they draw the spring out of its perpendicular position, and consequently destroy its utility. The frames of both these kinds, have heretofore, universally been made rigid, which prevented Vthem in many instances from being moved up narrow or winding stairs, or from room to room without the greatest diiiculty By my arrangey s y Q ment, I have obvia-ted all these diticulties; Be 1t known that I, JOHN WATERS, of the the frame `being elastic may be bent in any form, `and possesses withall great strength and lightness; the fastening, by straps, of the springs, and the passing the longitudinal and cross bracing through a suitable slot in said straps, makes them receive and carry a portion of the weight placed upon any one point, and distribute it'over the whole frame.

rIhe rims A, on the top and bottom are made of whalebone, bamboo, ratan, guttapercha, or other equally light, strong,` and elastic material, and are firmly braced by the longitudinal braces B, and cross braces C. The ends of these braces are bent over and around the rim and wrapped with finev wire, but may be secured in any well known permanent manner. At the points where :the braces B, and C, cross each other, they `are passed through slots in stro-ng leather straps D, which connect the helical springs E, together. The straps D, have their ends lapped around the top coil of the spring, and by means of a metallic rivet F, strongly attached thereto. `The outside `tier of springs, where they approach nearestto the rim A, are attached to said rim, by wrapping or binding them together with tine wire as seen at a, and on thisframe is placed the mattress of any kind. By this method of combining the several parts of the frame together, the springs are left free to act, wit-hout the least danger of their being cramped down by anyunequal pressure and destroyed. Theuveight also when applied to any one point onV the bed, will be distributed through the whole frame by means of the straps and braces, and be equalized on all parts of the frame. The advantages of this mode of construction, are first, extreme lightness with great strength, and an elastic frame which may be bent in'any form so as to easily remove it from place to place, and when released will spring back to its original form; and second, the distributing of the weight equally over the frame-its adaptation to the free use or play of the springs, and the manner of connecting them together so that the straps cannot move around on the coils of the springs, and its total freedom from chating or fretting and letting down the frame.

Having thus fully described the nature of niy invention What I claim therein as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent is The method :herein described 'of securing the springs of spring mattresses to the frame 5 and to each other so as to leave. the tops of the springs free to play or yield to any pressure Viz: by connecting them together by a riveted leather hinge, and allowing the longitudinal and eross pieces of the frame to pass through a slot in said leather hinges, 10

the Whole being combined and arranged in the manner and for thepurpose set forth. JOHN WATERS Witnesses:

L. C. DONN, A: B. STOUGHTON. 

